Fireproof magazine for film-reels.



N. POWER.

7 FIREPBOOF MAGAZINE FOR FILM HEELS. APPLICATION FILED KAY 5, 1906. RENEWED JAE. 24, 1910.

Patented May 31 1910.

NICHOLAS rowan, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

FIREPROOF MAGAZINE FOR FILM-REELS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 31, 1910.

Application filed May 5, 1906, Serial No. 315,358. Renewed January 24, 1910. Serial No. 539,881.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NICHOLAS Pownn, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, county of Km 5, city and State of New York, have invente a new and useful Improvement in Fireproof Magazines for Film-Reels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fire-proof magazines or cases for the film-reels of moving picture exhibiting machines, and is an improvement on the apparatus disclosed 1n my prior Patent No. 809,981, granted J anuary 16, 1906.

The object of the present inventlon is to rovide a magazine for the film-reels of movmg picture exhibiting machines of such construction that it will be thoroughly effective in preventing fire from reaching the reel of film inclosedin the magazine and will cause no rubbing friction upon the film as it.

' pames into or out of the magazine.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide a magazine of the character specified which will be simple, inexpensive and durable and entirely positive in its operation.

In attaining the objects above stated I employ a fire-proof casing provided with a narrow and elongated passage or guideway for the film and having a plurality of rollers suitably arranged in relation to the guideway or passage so as to protect the film from rubbing contact with any portion of the.

guideway or casing, and I may or may not employ a shiftable roller arranged to press the film in contact with one of the guide I rollers at the outer end of the guideway or passage for the film.

In the accompanying drawin illustrative of this specification have il ustrated two slightly different types of ma azine embodying the present invention, an it is to be understood that variations in the details of construction of either type of apparatus may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or exceedin the scope thereof, which is clearly define in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a view in vertical section through two complete magazines arranged in the relative ositions WlllCll they ordinarily occupy when tted to a moving picture exhibiting apparatus. Fig. 2 is a sectional viewtakenon the dotted section section showing a magazine of slightly different type from those illustrated in the preceding figures.

Re errln reference 0 or housim for a film reel or spool 2. This casing or housing may be made of any suitable fire-proof material, such as sheet iron, and will ordinarily be provided with a door (not shown). Extending transversely through the casin 1 is a spindle 3 to receive and support the fiIm-reel or spool so that the film 4 may be freely wound on the reel in the casing or unwound therefrom as may be required. Each casing 1 is provided in the top or bottom, as the case may be, with a racters, l designates the casing narrow aperture for the passage of the film,

and in the caslng adjacent to the film aperture is mounted a guide roller 5 over which the film passes from the reel or spool to the film aperture. Extending outward from the casing and mounted in or adjacent to the film aperture is a narrow chute 6 which forms a guideway or passage for the film. This chute 6 is preferably made of sheet iron or other sheet material not readily affected by heat and is of just suflicient width to permit the ready passage therethrough of a splice in the film. At the outer end of the chute 6 a guide roller 7 is mounted in such position that it will cooperate with the guide roller 5 located at the inner end of the chute in preventing rubbing contact of the film with the walls of the chute. Another roller 8 havin its axle 9 supported in slots 10 formed In ears 11 extending upward and from the outer end of the chute serves to press the film in contact with the roller 7, the weight of the roller 8 and its axle 9 being sufiicient to cause the required pressure.

A shield 12 is preferably provided over each roller 8, and a shield 13 is arranged over each roller 7, these shields serving to prevent in a measure the accumulation of dust upon the rollers.

The act-ion of the devices associated with each casing 1 in extinguishing fire in case lg now to the drawing by the the film should become ignited between the end of the chute 6 extending from the upper or lower magazine. In the great majority of instances, the flame will be extinguished as soon as it reaches the outer end of the chute forming the guideway for the fihn, as the contact of the two rollers 7 and 8 with the film at that oint tend to keep the film so cool that it Wlll not ignite. If, however, the burning should not be stopped at the outer end of the chute, the tendency of the film to curl in the chute will bring the ignited portion into contact with the wall of the chute, which will still further tend to cool the film and sto combustion. The cooling of the film withm the chute together with the scarcity of air to support combustion will always stop the burning of the film before the fire has passed through the chute and reached the interior of the casing.

In Fig. 3 I have illustrated a magazine consisting of a casing of the type already described, and adjacent to the film aperture or lying directly in the film aperture I have located a guide roller 14 for the film which is mounted in a combined bracket and shield 15 which is fixed on the exterior of the casing. The structure 15 comprises curved shields 16, 17 and 18 for the film and affords support for the roller 14 and two other rollers 20 and 21 respectively. Each roller is arranged adjacent to one of the shields, and the axes of the rollers are preferably arranged in the same vertical plane. The passage of the film into the casing is therefore quite sinuous and at every point of the passa e one side thereof is formed of a fixed shleld and the opposite side is the surface of one of the rollers. The rollers are so placed that the film lies always in contact with them and does not come into contact a with the shields except when the film is ignited.

The operation of this device depends in part upon the resiliency of the film and its tendency to curl. If the film becomes ignited above the upper roller 21 the tension upon the film is relaxed and it tends to spring into contact with the shields which form a part of the wall of the guideway or passa c. This guideway or passage is only of su 'cient width to permit the passage of a splice in the film and in conse uence the ignited portion of the film is inevitably brought into contact with the roller 21 and the opposite shield 18 practically at the instant that the flame reaches the upper part of the structure 15. This contact is ordinarily sufiicient to extinguish the flame and prevents its further passage along the film. If the burning does not cease at the top of the structure 15 the passage of the flame around the roller 20 and the roller 14: cannot occur on account of the limited supply of air and the contact of the ignited portion of the film with both rollers and the opposite shields, all of which are made of iron or other highly conductive metal.

From the foregoing description of the two slightly difl'erent types of ma azine illustrated in the drawings it will be 0 vious that the passage of the film into or out of either type will not be accompanied with any rubbing friction u on the film, thus preventing injury to the lm itself and minimizing the wear upon the parts of the a aratus which come into contact with the Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A magazine for inflammable films comprising a casing or housing of non-inflammable material, a narrow guidway or passage having closed sides projecting from the casing through which the film must ass into said casing or housing, and ui ing means external to the casing or ousing associated with said guideway or passage to prevent rubbing contact of the film with said guideway or passage.

2. A device for extinguishing ignited picture films comprising a narrow uideway or passage and a plurality of gui e rollers so arranged relative to said passage as to prevent rubbing contact of the film with the fixed portions of said guidway or passage, and a shiftable roller normally against said film and holding it 1n contact with one of said guide rollers, said shiftable roller and the adjacent guide roller being supported at the outer en of said guideway or passage.

3. In apparatus of the character specified, the combination with a narrow uideway or passage for a movin picture lm of a guide roller arranged a jacent to the outer end of said passage, and a shiftable roller arranged opposite said guide roller and normally pressing a ainst the film and holding it in contact wit said guide roller.

4. In apparatus of the character specified, the combination with a narrow uideway or passage for a moving picture lm of a guide roller mounted adjacent to the outer end of said passage and a shiftable roller having an axle mounted in inclined slots so arranged that said shiftable roller lies normally in contact with the film and presses it against said guide roller.

5. A film magazine comprisin a casing, a narrow guideway having close sides pro jecting therefrom through which the film must pass, and guiding means at the outer end of the guideway.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

NICHOLAS POWER.

Witnesses:

A. M. KILBU'RN, BAXTER Mormon.

resting 

